Small Talk
by DoingSomeCalibrations
Summary: An awkward encounter makes Tali decide to finally tell Shepard how she feels - or at least try to.
1. Chapter 1

For perhaps the fifth time since Shepard had entered Engineering a few minutes ago, Tali glanced over at him.

It had become a nightly ritual. Before he retired to his cabin on deck 1, he would check in with the crew in each primary area of the ship. At first she had thought it was protocol, but she had quickly noticed that his questions were casual, and that the conversations often focused on inconsequential things. Often, he would even joke with his crewmembers. Garrus had told her that humans called it _small talk_.

It seemed important to him that his crew felt connected with him, and it certainly seemed to improve general performance. She had even asked him once if he knew that the Engineering staff really didn't need daily supervision, and he had given a small smile of amusement, his eyes twinkling. He'd asked if she'd rather he didn't visit so often, and she'd fumbled her way through something about not meaning it like _that_. She had blushed then, just as she blushed now at the memory. Somehow, he had a way of making her do that.

What she did not say, and hadn't said to anyone, was that these visits were the best parts of her day. He would often visit Engineering during the course of his duties, and a day never went by when he didn't stop by at least once during the morning or afternoon, but his evening tour of the ship was by far the best.

He was _softer_ somehow. She frowned; that wasn't quite the right word, but it would do. At the end of the day he was tired, and it relaxed him. He didn't walk quite so upright, and he'd often lean against a console and smile when he spoke to her. Not that he didn't smile at her often - he did - but there was something lazy about his smiles at nighttime which made her have to work very hard to concentrate on what he was saying. She sighed quietly, and glanced over at him yet again.

Shepard laughed at Donnelly's ever-colourful choice of language, and bid him and Daniels goodnight, turning to cross to the opposite side of the room. Tali was working hard as usual, engrossed in something or other on her console, but she glanced up as he approached. He smiled at her, nodding a greeting.

_I wonder if she smiles back_, he thought. It's a question he'd pondered often. It seemed rude to ask, but there were moments when he'd give a very large number of credits to know for sure.

"Shepard," she said, returning his nod as she bounced on her toes slightly. "Good evening!"

His smile widened at her usual mix of bubbly enthusiasm and endearing formality.

"And a good evening to you too, Miss vas Normandy," he replied warmly. "Ship still in one piece?"

She tilted her head to one side at the query; he used that particular phrasing several times each week, and she knew that he trusted her with his ship completely.

"It's holding together," she replied, folding her arms and raising her chin ever so slightly. The effect was almost comically haughty despite her light tone, and he laughed.

Tali felt a familiar warmth chase through her. She felt it whenever he smiled at her, and especially when they laughed together. She smiled beneath the helmet, and hoped that he knew how often he made her do so.

"I'm glad to hear it," Shepard replied, stretching to loosen his shoulder muscles and then glancing down at her console. After a moment, he stepped closer to get a better view.

"What are you working on?" he asked, his shoulder brushing against hers as he focused on the holographic display.

Tali's mind went momentarily blank. He was right next to her, and she could feel his shoulder and upper arm touching hers. She felt a brief, powerful urge to place her head against his shoulder, and for the second time in a few minutes she blushed deeply.

"Um," she began, grasping for words as she willed her mind to work, "I... I'm... I was just checking some things. The power requirements. Of the shield upgrades."

Shepard glanced up at her, curious as to the hesitation in her voice. She instinctively met his gaze then immediately glanced down at the console again.

"And?" he asked, gently.

"Oh, yes. Yes, it all seems fine," she replied. "You can never be too careful."

He gave a small smile by way of response, taking a half step back and turning to face her.

"Is everything OK with you, Tali?" he asked, a note of concern evident in his voice. He was looking at her intently, and for the thousandth time she acknowledged that there were some benefits to the helmet of her envirosuit not showing her face clearly.

_Now he thinks you're crazy_, she chastised herself. _Mumbling and stuttering when he asks you a simple question!_

She made an effort to brighten her tone, and stood up straight.

"Absolutely," she said. "I'm sorry, I think I'm just a little tired. It's been a long day."

He continued to search her expression for a few moments, and then nodded and smiled.

"I know what you mean," he replied with a small laugh. "I'm looking forward to relaxing for a while too. Just a few things to check first."

He continued to look at her for a long moment, his eyes roaming over her hood, around the faceplate of her helmet and even down to her shoulders briefly, before looking her in the eye again with another small smile. She thought there might be a hint of sadness to it.

"You know you can always talk to me, don't you?" he asked quietly. "About anything."

She nodded slowly, and he seemed satisfied.

"I should go," he said at last, tipping his head towards her in farewell.

"Talk to you later," she replied, and he gave one last brief smile before turning and walking out into the hallway.

When the door closed behind him, she clapped one hand over her visor.

_Keelah_.

* * *

><p>"This is ridiculous," Tali muttered to herself, being careful to keep her voice quiet enough that neither Donnelly nor Daniels would hear.<p>

It had been almost fifteen minutes since Shepard had left, and she still felt embarrassed. In fact, she felt even worse now.

He had known there was something bothering her, but it hadn't occurred to him that it was the fact that they were standing so close together. Of _course_ it hadn't. Because he didn't know anything about how she felt about him.

She closed her eyes, resisting the urge to once again put her hand over her visor.

_And now he thinks I'm holding something back from him_, she thought, miserably.

The man she should - and _did_ - trust above all others, who deserved her complete confidence and faith. Had he been hurt by her reluctance to speak? She thought that she might cry.

She suddenly felt an overpowering urge to speak to him again; not tomorrow, but tonight, now. Not giving herself a chance to reconsider, she stepped away from her console.

"EDI," she said, "where is Commander Shepard?" She crossed both pairs of fingers in the hope that he hadn't yet gone to his cabin.

"_Commander Shepard is in Miranda Lawson's office on Deck 2,_" came the synthesized reply, and Tali's shoulders slumped.

_Ugh_, she thought. _Talking to that b... bosh'tet._

She knew that Miranda liked Shepard, and as more than a friend. She'd never seen any sign that anything had happened between them, but it was all too easy to imagine. Perhaps Miranda looked forward to his evening check-in just as much as she did. She had worried about it many times.

Tali curled her fingers into fists, frustrated but unsure what to do. She wanted to speak to him, and something felt... different tonight, somehow. He had been genuinely concerned about her earlier, and it wasn't even usual for him to stand so close to her.

And then he'd looked at her so carefully, taking in as many of her features as he could see through her helmet, and had seemed a little sad. She had almost forgotten about that in her frustration at herself.

She had made up her mind, and she strode out of Engineering and along the corridor to the elevator. She could wait until he was finished speaking to Miranda, and then ask to speak with him.

She had absolutely no idea what she would say.


	2. Chapter 2

"He wants to do _what_?"

Miranda smirked at Shepard's response, which she'd fully expected. She had just relayed the fact that Joker had sent her a so-called "systems efficiency improvement proposal" earlier in the day, asking that EDI's access to all shipboard systems be locked out, except for monitoring purposes.

She had already briefed Shepard on tomorrow's duty roster and updated him on the progress of various aspects of their mission, and he had been just about to leave when she'd casually mentioned Joker's request.

Shepard was shaking his head at his pilot's continued feud with the Normandy's AI. They were like an old married couple, and EDI seemed to take a gleeful pleasure in the torment.

"Unbelievable," Shepard said, grinning despite his mild annoyance with Joker.

"I know," Miranda replied. "They remind me of those two in Engineering. I swear that if EDI was human, we'd have caught them in... a compromising position by now."

Shepard snorted a laugh, and nodded.

"Well, I'll tell Mr. Moreau at tomorrow morning's meeting that we're not going to be implementing his _proposal_," Shepard said, walking towards the door of the office.

"I'm not any happier than he is about our every move being watched, but my gut says there'll come a time when we'll be grateful for the redundancy that EDI offers."

The door slid open automatically as he reached it, and Miranda took a few steps forward. Shepard turned back, still with a small grin at Joker's boldness.

"I feel the same way," Miranda said, returning the grin.

"Good," Shepard replied. "I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow."

"Looking forward to it," Miranda replied with a nod, then turned and walked back towards her desk, the office door closing behind her as Shepard set off down the corridor towards the elevator.

* * *

><p>Tali stepped from the elevator on deck 3, and paused for a moment. She glanced up the curved corridor which she knew led to Miranda's office, feeling a surge of anxiety.<p>

She couldn't exactly just go and hang around outside the door, much as she'd like to overhear whatever they were talking about.

_Not that I could hear anything from inside anyway_, she thought.

The constant low hum of the Normandy's engines, coupled with the muffling effect of the stealth system and the fact that all doors also functioned as emergency bulkheads, made each room virtually soundproof. She frowned in annoyance.

After a moment, she took a few steps up the corridor, the left side of Miranda's office door just coming into view around the curved passageway. The door was closed, as expected. They were clearly still talking.

_How long should I wait here before-_

The thought was never finished, as the office door suddenly began to open, and Tali ducked a few meters back along the corridor and out of sight.

She peered out after a few seconds, seeing Shepard now standing just outside the office, looking back at Miranda who stood on the other side of the doorway. Both were smiling at each other. She felt an unpleasant jab of envy, and strained to listen.

"I feel the same way," Miranda said, still smiling at Shepard.

"Good," Shepard replied. "I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow."

"Looking forward to it," Miranda replied, then turned and walked out of sight, the door closing behind her.

Shepard turned and began walking towards the corridor.

Tali turned, feeling tears on her cheeks, and quietly ran back towards the elevator and past it, along the opposite curved corridor towards the medical bay.

Shepard reached the elevator, waited for the doors to open, and stepped inside, pressing the panel for deck 2.

"Efficiency improvement proposal," he muttered to himself, unable to suppress a rueful grin.

Tali huddled against the smooth, polished titanium wall of the corridor, her arms clasped to her chest.

_"I feel the same way"_ she thought. That was what Miranda had said. The other woman had seemed _happy,_ too.

_I waited too long. I should have told him before. I should have..._

Had anyone been walking down the corridor from the medical bay, they might have heard a small sob briefly echo along it. But at this hour, as far as anyone knew, the corridor was deserted.


	3. Chapter 3

Garrus glanced briefly up from his console as the door to the Main Battery opened behind him, revealing Tali.

"Tali," he said, genuinely surprised, "what brings you here?"

She was silent for a moment, before replying in a quiet voice.

"Do you have time to talk?"

Garrus looked down at his console again as it beeped.

"Can it wait for a bit?" he asked, "I'm in the middle of some-"

He never had the chance to finish the sentence, as Tali was suddenly wracked with a huge sob.

Garrus spun back around to face her, seeing that she had clasped her arms around herself and her head was lowered.

"Um, of course. I have some time," he said, slightly nervously.

He thought of Tali as a little sister, and they often shared meals due to their common dextro amino acid chirality, but he was completely unequipped for helping with an emotional crisis. A dangerous mission armed only with a sniper rifle, absolutely. An upset young woman, not at all.

Tali hadn't responded, so Garrus took a tentative step forward.

"Why don't you sit down?" he said, as gently as he knew how. "Let me get you a... crate."

He dragged an equipment crate out from the corner, and she sat down on it as he returned to stand in front of the console facing her. She was clasping and unclasping her hands, so he decided to wait for her to speak when she was ready. He folded his arms then immediately unfolded them.

_Is that supposed to be negative body language?_ he wondered. _I can never remember._

Next, he clasped his hands behind his back, then worried that it would seem impatient, so he finally settled on simply letting his arms hang at his sides. He was just beginning to wonder if he should recommend that she talk to a _female_ crewmember instead, when she finally spoke.

"He loves her, Garrus," she said quietly, still not making eye contact.

He frowned, and felt his stomach clench. Conversations about love weren't exactly his speciality. He usually said something that sounded inappropriate, without intending to. He nervously scratched one of his mandibles.

"Uh... I see," he said. "I'm... sorry to hear that?"

He immediately screwed his eyes closed, and had to restrain himself from clapping his hand over his face.

_Stupid_, he thought. _That was a stupid thing to say. What if she's happy that he loves her? Women cry when they're happy too. And who's he? Or her?_

He shifted his weight onto his other foot, and waited uncomfortably for Tali to speak again. Maybe there would be a surprise geth attack soon, and he could legitimately excuse himself.

After a long moment, Tali shrugged then gave a long sigh.

"I suppose it was inevitable," she said, bitterly. "She's his second in command, and is supposedly the _perfect woman_." She said the last words with unconcealed disdain.

_This is about Shepard and the Cerberus woman?_ Garrus thought, taken aback by the news. _I never got the feeling he completely trusted her._

"Oh," he said, simply. "So... he told you this? That he, um, feels that way about Miranda?"

She shook her head, and sighed once more.

"No, of course not," she replied. "I heard them talking. He was leaving her office just now. They didn't see me, but I could hear them."

Garrus frowned more deeply this time.

"That doesn't seem like Shepard," he said. "He's not the kind of man to have personal conversations within earshot of the crew. He actually said he _loves_ her?"

Tali shuffled her feet, clasping and unclasping her hands again.

"Well, I didn't hear that part, but..." she said.

Garrus scratched his head. Now it was beginning to make sense.

"OK, tell me what you _actually_ heard," he said. "There might be another explanation."

She glanced up at him, and despite not being able to see her facial expression, there was something so hopeful in the movement that a light clicked on in his mind.

"Oh," he said. "I see. You're upset because... _you_ love him."

Her shoulders fell slightly, but she made no attempt to deny it. Garrus felt intensely protective of her, and had to suppress an irrational anger towards Miranda and Shepard. After all, he hadn't even heard the actual story yet, much less confirmed it. To be honest, he'd always thought that if Shepard had feelings for anyone on the ship, it was probably Tali herself, not Miranda.

"Come on," he said, with a small smile, "Why don't you tell me what they actually said to each other?"

"Well," she replied, "they came out of her office a few minutes ago, and they were smiling at each other. Then she said 'I feel the same way'. And she seemed happy about something."

Garrus looked at her, expecting that she'd continue. When she didn't, he blinked.

"That's it?" he asked, not quite able to believe that she'd have jumped to such a conclusion from so little evidence.

"No," she said, indignantly. "Then he said 'Good, I'll see you tomorrow', and then _she_ said that she was _looking forward_ to it."

She crossed her legs and folded her arms in one smooth movement.

"I hate her," she said, definitively, causing Garrus to bark a laugh which echoed around the chamber.

"Tali," he said, "you really don't know for sure what they were talking about. She could have been agreeing about _anything_. You've lined up your sights on her without having all the facts."

She looked away, then gave a half-shrug in acknowledgement that he may have a point.

"Listen," Garrus continued, "why don't you just go and talk to him? Tell him how you feel, or ask him how he feels about her, or something like that. Just don't go off half-cocked. You don't pull the trigger without confirming the target."

She tilted her head to one side as she looked at him, and he blinked.

"I... I use a lot of shooting metaphors, don't I?" he said in sudden self-awareness.

"You really do," she replied with a giggle, causing him to self-consciously run his fingers through his fringe.

"Well, I'll work on that," he said wryly, "while _you_ go and actually talk to the man about all this. Deal?"

Tali stood up and lightly crossed to where he stood.

"Deal," she said, suddenly giving him a brief hug.

"Thank you, Garrus," she said.

"No problem," he replied, with a slightly embarrassed grin.

Tali smiled at the turian's awkwardness, then turned and bounded out of the Main Battery, passing Kelly Chambers who was just approaching the door.

"Oh hello, Tali," Chambers said as the quarian walked by, receiving a nod and a quick "hello" in reply.

"Garrus, I'm glad I caught you," she said, stopping short of the doorway. "I was wondering if you had some time to talk?"

_By the spirits, not another one_, Garrus thought, his earlier panic immediately returning in full force. _When did I become the go-to guy for upset females?_

"I... actually I'm kind of in the middle of something, Miss Chambers," he said, taking a step back into the room and reaching for the door control panel.

"Oh it won't take long," she said, "It's just about-"

"I really do need to finish this," he stammered. "_These_. These... weapons calibrations. Very important. You know how it is."

He tapped the door control panel and heard the mechanism begin to engage.

"I can come back later?" Kelly said. "Any time would be fine. How about-"

With considerable relief, Garrus saw the door begin to slide closed, and pointed emphatically back over his shoulder towards his console. The last thing Kelly Chambers heard before the door latched closed was a single word, almost shouted.

"_Calibrations!_"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: First fanfic, and for a video game of all things! I'm having fun with this, and reviews/comments are very much appreciated.**

* * *

><p>Shepard yawned, twisting his neck to relieve the tension in it.<p>

He was finally finished with his evening tour of the ship, checking in with each department. He stepped down from the podium above the holographic galaxy map and approached the elevator door. The chime indicated that it was in use, and the car was on its way up.

He found his mind wandering to Tali, for at least the tenth time since he'd last spoken to her around half an hour before.

_I wonder what was bothering her_, he thought, a frown appearing on his face. _Maybe I should go and check on her._

But he knew that was a bad idea. It wasn't wise to force the issue; he'd already told her that he was always available to talk, and he hoped she'd take him up on the offer, but there was no sense in putting her on the spot - especially when it was late in the evening. He sighed.

The elevator control panel chirped briefly to indicate that the car had arrived, and he stepped forward as the door opened - almost colliding with Tali.

She had checked with EDI again and learned that Shepard was in the CIC, so she'd taken the elevator up to deck 2. She hadn't expected to literally run into him, though. She stumbled backwards, and began to lose her balance.

Shepard reached out and grasped her shoulder, steadying her on her feet. She instinctively grasped his forearm until she had regained her footing, then hurriedly let go again, feeling a warmth rise in her cheeks.

"Sorry," he said. "Wasn't looking where I was going."

"Me either," she said, bashfully. "Thank you."

He smiled at her, and nodded.

"It's not often we see you up here in the CIC," he said warmly. "Is there anything I can help with?"

She bounced slightly on her toes and cocked her head to one side.

"Well, actually I was hoping to talk to you," she said, shyness evident in her voice, before noticing a stack of datapads under his arm. "Oh, but I don't want to disturb you if you're busy."

"This is just some reading I can catch up on in the morning," he said. "I'm all yours."

Tali felt her heart momentarily speed up at his words, followed immediately by a pang of sadness as she remembered overhearing him speaking to Miranda earlier.

_You don't know what they were talking about yet,_ she reminded herself, and tilted her head at Shepard in response.

"It's... a personal matter," she said quietly, glancing nervously around the wide CIC area.

"No problem," Shepard replied. "I was just heading to my cabin. We can talk there."

He stepped into the elevator beside her, and pressed the panel for deck 1.

_His cabin_, she thought, her pulse now racing. _I've never seen it before_.

She willed herself to calm down, and with a great effort she refrained from clasping her hands together. The elevator door closed and the car began to ascend.

"I was just thinking about you, actually," he said, drawing a startled glance from her.

"You... were?" she said, inwardly cringing at the increase in pitch of her voice which she thought he _must_ have noticed.

Shepard only nodded, shooting a disarming smile in her direction.

"Oh," she said, somewhat flustered. "Well... thank you. I mean, in a good way, I hope. Um, I mean..."

He laughed, and turned towards her, putting his hand on her shoulder. Her head dipped slightly towards it as he did so, before she caught herself.

_Now what's that all about?_ he wondered, but he didn't allow himself to pursue the thought.

"Tali, relax," he said gently. "Yes, it's always in a good way. To tell the truth, I was a little worried about you when we spoke earlier. Seemed like something was on your mind." He dropped his hand, and she lowered her gaze to her feet.

"Well, yes, I suppose so," she admitted, clasping her hands together without even realising. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"OK," he smiled, as the elevator door opened, revealing the short walkway to his private cabin. "Let's go in and sit down and you can tell me about it."

He gestured ahead of himself, indicating that she should go first, and she stepped out of the elevator and up to the other door, hesitating.

Shepard pressed the door control panel, and the door smoothly opened, revealing the blue expanse of the large fish tank along the left wall.

"Come on in," he said; "make yourself at home."

Tali's eyes widened at room before her. He had _marine creatures_ in a water tank, which shone a soft blue glow on the entire cabin. There was an enormous bed - she blushed as soon as she looked at it - and a long comfortable seating area, all beneath a large window in the ceiling which showed the stars through the shimmer of the Normandy's mass effect field. It was stunning.

"Shepard..." she said, with awe in her voice, "your cabin is... wonderful."

He smiled, glancing around at the room.

"I'm glad you like it," he said, then his brow creased as if he was considering something.

"Actually, I think you're the first person who's ever been up here," he mused. "Besides me, of course."

Her heart leapt at his words.

_So she has never been here_, she thought. Tali took a further step into the room, suddenly feeling ever so slightly territorial.

"Did you see this?" Shepard said, gesturing towards an area she hadn't noticed.

He had an office in front of his private washroom, enclosed in glass. Set into the glass were display brackets with polished models of various starships.

She made a small noise as she walked over to the display, running her fingertips across the smooth surface. There was a model of the Normandy SR2, and also one of the original Normandy. She glanced up at him and saw that he was looking at it too, and a brief flicker of pain crossed his face.

"Oh Shepard," she said, sorrow evident in her voice, "I'm sorry. You've lost so much in all this." She gently put her hand against his chest.

He gave her a small, sad smile, before his expression brightened again.

"No more than I've gained," he said quietly, briefly covering her hand with his.

His touch was electric, and she felt her knees sway slightly. A flush rose in her cheeks, and in that moment she utterly hated her envirosuit for coming between them.

They both let their hands drop, and looked back at the display case.

"Does this one look familiar?" he asked, with a small grin, pointing to a model positioned just above the various consoles on his desk.

"It's from the flotilla!" she said, clearly delighted. "But... you have both Normandies, and the council flagship... why this shabby old thing?"

Her smiled widely, an unguarded smile of the sort he very rarely allowed himself.

"Hope you don't take this the wrong way," he said, "but whenever I look up from my desk and see it, it always reminds me of you."

Tali put her hands on her hips in mock offence, but she was inwardly delighted.

He laughed, and then his voice became more tender.

"If you ever get homesick, you're welcome to come up here to see it."

She met his gaze again, and several moments passed where neither of them said a word.

_What are you doing, John?_ he asked himself. If he was absolutely honest, he'd been developing feelings for Tali for some time now, but he'd not planned to make any kind of move in the near future.

She was often so nervous around him, and he didn't have enough context to determine whether that was just because he was the commanding officer of the ship, or because he'd been brought back to life by Cerberus, or something else.

All too often he'd lain awake wondering what her reaction would be if he suggested that they could be more than friends and colleagues. And all too often, he'd wondered whether that reaction might be shock, or even disgust. Yet here tonight, he was testing his boundaries. Not quite flirting, but almost. That was... interesting.

Tali kept eye-contact, knowing that this was by far the longest she'd ever dared to hold his gaze. She loved looking at his eyes. So clear and blue, made even moreso by the glow from the aquarium. If he'd wanted to simply look at her for the rest of the evening, she'd have been quite willing to oblige.

She could still feel a phantom warmth on the back of her hand where his hand had covered her glove, and her stomach fluttered again at the memory.

At length, Shepard cleared his throat and glanced down at his desk.

"So," he said, "you wanted to talk to me about something?"

Tali felt all her earlier nervousness returning tenfold, but she was now even more sure that something was somehow different between them tonight.

"Yes," she replied, with a small nod.

"Might as well be comfortable," he said, gesturing towards the long leather couch set into the wall in the living area, on the other side of the display case. They both went down the small set of steps and sat down.

She clasped her hands once more and took a deep breath before looking up at him.

"Well," she began.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Tali is pretty much my favourite character in sci-fi at the moment; I think it's time she stopped suffering!**

****Reviews are always very much appreciated.****

* * *

><p>"I wanted to apologise for earlier," Tali said, glancing briefly down at her hands. "I didn't mean to... make you think that I was keeping something from you."<p>

Shepard nodded, offering a small smile - _apology accepted_, it said.

"Even though I _was_ keeping something from you," she said, in a small voice.

His brow creased into a slight frown, more of curiosity than anything else, and he remained silent as he waited for her to continue.

Tali sighed, and looked over at the aquarium. It was soothing to look at. She understood why he had it in his cabin. She spoke again without looking around.

"I heard you leaving Miranda's office a little while ago," she said.

He was unsure what significance her statement had. It wasn't unusual for someone to be around when he entered or left Miranda's office, since it opened onto a corridor leading directly past the large mess area and kitchen. He hadn't noticed anyone around, but he hadn't been looking particularly carefully either.

She was looking down at her own hands clasped in her lap again, and seemed reluctant to continue. He was about to gently prompt her when she suddenly looked up at him.

"Are you... and her... ?" Tali stuttered, unable to actually say the words.

"Miranda and I... together?" he said, scarcely able to believe that she thought it.

Tali nodded, her eyes still fixed on him.

Shepard's mind ran back over the evening's events. He'd asked her what she was working on, and she'd become nervous - but it had seemed to be just an energy diagnostic. He'd seen the displays himself. And then she'd apparently been outside Miranda's office, even though he hadn't seen her. But thinking that the two of them were together?

"What gave you that idea?" he asked gently, and she shrugged unhappily, dropping her gaze again.

"I heard some of your conversation," she replied, very quietly. "She... said that she felt the same way, and... you said that was good."

She sighed deeply and helplessly, and he knew that she was intensely miserable. He felt a powerful urge to reach out to her, and for once he didn't fight it.

She glanced up quickly as she felt his hand reach over and grasp hers. He was smiling, not quite that same sad smile from before, but one with a sparkle of relieved humor around the eyes.

"Tali," he said, "Miranda told me that Joker wanted to disconnect EDI's control of the ship."

She frowned, not seeing the relevance. She would probably agree with Joker's suggestion, but it didn't explain anything.

"I was just leaving her office," he said. " I told her we weren't going to do that, because EDI could come in handy one day. Miranda said she felt the same way."

Tali blinked, her head tilting slightly to one side.

"I said that was good," he continued. "I'm going to tell Joker about my decision tomorrow. Miranda said she was looking forward to the meeting. That's what happened."

Her heart leapt again, and she was certain she would cry. After a moment, the certainty passed, and instead she felt acute embarrassment.

"Oh _Keelah_..." she groaned, covering her visor with her free hand.

Shepard allowed himself a small laugh, then quickly stifled it to spare her further discomfort. He squeezed her hand, and when she finally looked up at him again, he spoke clearly and carefully.

"Miranda and I aren't together," he said. "Not even slightly. Not even close. Alright?"

Tali nodded slowly, once again studying her own hands, one of which he still held but now slowly released.

After a long few moments of silence, she spoke.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "It's not any of my business. I shouldn't have bothered you."

He smiled, even though she didn't see it.

_Don't back out now_, he thought. He was unsure whether the advice was for her or for himself.

"Tali," he said, "you said you were keeping something from me. Is there... something you want to tell me?"

She shivered, clasping her hands together tightly. He could see that she was uncomfortable, and suddenly it all seemed so unnecessary. So simple.

_Doubt is one thing_, he thought. _Not overstepping boundaries is another. But maybe this doesn't have to be complicated._

The words were out of his mouth before his brain had a chance to intervene.

"Because there's something I've been meaning to tell you_,_" he said.

She looked up immediately, her shining eyes wide behind the misty glass of the helmet's visor.

Shepard became very aware of his own heartbeat, but it wasn't elevated. Just marking time; counting regularly. An insistent rhythm that demanded action, because life was short and every moment was important.

He imagined that he could hear her heartbeat too, and that it was perfectly synchronized to his. There was nothing else in the room, or the ship, or even the galaxy - for one brief moment, it was just the two of them.

"You were right a while ago," he said; "the Engineering crew don't need daily supervision. They certainly don't need twice or three-times daily visits from the CO."

Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the words in context.

_He's not going to come down to deck 4 anymore?_ she wondered, feeling the beginnings of a pang of hurt which never had a chance to form before he continued speaking.

"I go there to see _you_," he said simply.

She blinked; once, twice. Her mouth formed a small 'o' in shock, though he couldn't see it. Her mind was jumble of half-finished questions.

"But... why?" she managed to whisper, and he once again wore that same sad smile.

"You really don't know, do you?" he asked. "I think about you a lot, Tali. About you, and... me. After a while, I can't think straight until I see you."

A part of her mind that wasn't frozen into inaction saw that some color had risen in his cheeks; something she'd never seen before. He looked at her for another moment longer, then glanced down at his own hands.

_Did I just make the worst misjudgement of my life?_ he wondered, feeling an unpleasant clench in the pit of his stomach.

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable," he said, awkwardly. "I mean, I completely understand if you'd rather we just forget..."

Like a paused vid suddenly resuming motion, all of her thoughts fell into place at once with a simple realization.

_He cares for me_, she thought, awestruck by the fact of it. Her mind effortlessly served up dozens of corroborating incidents, all now seen in an entirely different light.

His visits to Engineering multiple times per day. The missions he chose her for, and those he didn't. His anger during her trial at the Migrant Fleet. The times he'd stand just a little too close to her, or brush against her. The barely-contained fury with which he dealt with anyone who made offensive remarks about her people. A hundred glances, almost every one with a smile.

_Oh, John_, she thought. She felt tears on her cheeks for the second time that evening, but this time they were welcome.

He had tailed off, not finishing his sentence, and had now cleared his throat. He looked almost as if he was going to get up, but he never had the chance to.

In a single smooth movement, she slid along the soft leather couch until she was next to him, and put her hand on his as he looked up in surprise.

"You have no idea how much I look forward to seeing you each day," she said. She looked at him intently, willing him to believe.

"I miss you a moment after you leave," she whispered, the softness of her voice and her distinctive accent raising goosebumps on his arms.

"I've... wished for so long that it could be me who gets to be with you," she finished, the emotion clear in her voice, glancing down as she was momentarily unable to meet his eyes.

Shepard lifted his other hand and gently tilted her chin back up towards him, and she saw something she had never imagined; a single tear tracing its way slowly down his face before being caught in the stubble of the day's beard growth.

"Tali..." he began, but for the moment there were no more words.

He pulled her to him, his arms went around her waist as hers snaked around his neck, and her head fell upon his chest.

He held her as she shook with silent tears, and though he couldn't see it, he knew she was smiling.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I decided to continue with this for a bit, to have some fun with the fact that they're together. I'm particularly interested to see how Garrus, Miranda and Joker will react.**

**But that's for the next day; for now, it's still late at night on the **_**Normandy**_**...**

**Reviews always appreciated.**

* * *

><p>They had been holding each other on the leather couch for almost an hour now. She clung to him tightly, as if she was afraid that he would disappear and she would awake to find herself alone in her usual bunk.<p>

"What does this mean for you, John?" she suddenly asked, both of them enjoying the sound of her using his first name. Her voice was still timid, and was slightly muffled as her face was turned in towards his chest.

He smiled; he had been expecting a question like this.

"Don't worry," he said, hugging her more tightly, "I'm not in any hurry. I know we have to take things slow. And I want to be around for as long as you'll have me."

"I would have you always," she said immediately, matter-of-factly and with a smile in her voice.

He expected her to tense as a human woman would have, realizing how it had sounded and fearing she'd scare him away, but she actually relaxed.

_Just one more way that it's easier with you_, he thought.

"I was hoping you'd feel that way," he replied, dropping a gentle kiss on her hood above the visor, where she could feel it.

She sighed in contentment.

"I wish you could kiss me," she whispered, and he felt a thunderbolt of a very powerful emotion, best left unnamed for now, strike his chest.

"I think that every day," he replied quietly. "It'll happen."

There was a long moment of silence.

"Ideally on the Citadel, in front of Udina," he added, with a smile.

She yelped with laughter, her moment of sadness forgotten, and he felt incredibly privileged that he'd been able to make her do that.

"And it would be just _terrible_ if it were to happen in front of Miranda," she said, in an excessively innocent voice. He was certain that if she wasn't wearing her helmet, he'd have seen her fluttering her eyelashes.

_If she has eyelashes, of course_, he thought with a smile.

"Where did you get this Miranda thing from?" he asked, unable to completely suppress a slightly smug grin as she looked up at him, which promptly earned him a poke in the ribs.

"Don't smile about it!" she pouted, threatening another poke of her finger, so he held up one hand in surrender.

"OK, OK," he conceded, "but... I've just never seen any sign of it. Truthfully."

"John," she said, "you never saw any sign from me either, and I practically tripped over my own feet whenever you talked to me."

She lifted a hand to stroke his face tenderly.

"You are _wonderful_, but you're not the most observant man in the galaxy when a woman likes you," she said sweetly.

His laugh boomed across the cabin, making her head bounce slightly against his chest. She felt a wonderful warmth inside her at how comfortable they were together.

"Next time she looks at you in that way, I might set my combat drone on her," she said, playfully, drawing another laugh from Shepard.

"Maybe it'd be best if you just thought about how I only have eyes for you," he replied with a grin. "Besides, Miranda's pretty dangerous. And fast."

"Nobody's faster than Chiktikka vas Paus," she replied, the smile obvious in her voice.

She nestled further into his chest, and yawned, drawing an answering yawn from Shepard a moment later.

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked, lazily. "You should get some sleep."

"Let's just stay here for a while," he replied, allowing his head to fall back against the couch and closing his eyes. He felt rather than saw her head nod against his chest in response.

Before a further ten minutes had passed, they were both asleep.

* * *

><p>Shepard slowly opened his eyes, still groggy.<p>

_Fell asleep on the couch again_, he thought, before becoming aware that something was different.

There was a small, warm body curled up against him, and a head in a very familiar hood rested against his chest. Every so often, an extremely adorable half-snore could be heard. He smiled, and once again the powerful emotion filled his chest.

He sat as still as possible for another few minutes, but his right leg was beginning to cramp. He could see from the holographic clock across the room at his bedside that it was after 01:00 hours.

The thought of sending her back down to deck 2 to sleep in her bunk wasn't appealing, and the thought of lying alone in the huge bed was even less so.

_She deserves a good night's sleep; it's been a tough evening for her_, he thought, and his mind was made up.

He carefully shifted one arm to loop under her knees, and gently picked her up and stood up in the same motion. He paused for a moment to see if he'd woken her, but she only curled closer into his chest.

He walked slowly across to the bed, leaning down to pick up the edge of the top sheet between two fingers of the hand that still held her below her knees, and pulled the sheet back. Very slowly and with infinite care, he lay her on the bed, then lifted the sheet up over her. He reached for the control panel at the beside and dimmed the cabin lights by several levels.

She snuffled and her arms twitched slightly, but she curled up and settled almost immediately. He smiled at her, then crept across to the few stairs which led up to his office and private washroom.

Five minutes later he stepped back into the main cabin, being careful to be as quiet as possible. He made his way to the couch, and lay down, making himself as comfortable as possible.

He had only been there for a minute when he heard her sit up in bed, followed by her voice in the dim light.

"John...?" she asked.

"I'm here," he said. "We fell asleep. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Oh..." she replied, "I should go and let you rest."

"If you get up now it'll take you a while to get back to sleep," he said. "Just lie back down. You deserve a decent sleep after the evening you've had."

There was silence for a long moment before she spoke again.

"It's your cabin," she said, shyly, "you don't have to sleep on the couch."

"I don't want to overstep any boundaries, Tali," he said. "I fall asleep here more than you'd think. I'm just fine."

"But you'd be more comfortable... here," she said, in a very quiet voice. He could practically feel her bashfulness radiating from her, and his heart went out to her.

"Just sleep, John," she continued. "I... I'd like you to be here."

He bowed his head for a moment, weighing up the rights and wrongs, but in the end his decision had already been made. It was innocent, as enforced by her immune system, and she had asked.

"OK," he said warmly, getting up and crossing to the other side of the bed. He lifted back the sheet and lay down in the darkness, and she immediately moved to be by his side, putting her head on his chest and an arm around his waist.

"Thank you," she said, as he wrapped his arms around her.

He was unsure what exactly she was grateful for, but the details didn't seem to matter.

"I should be the one who's thanking _you_," he said, and felt her squeeze him a little tighter.

"Perhaps," she said, coyly, her voice heavy with sleep, and he grinned in the darkness as he closed his eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Not sure whether to continue the story after this chapter. I've certainly had fun writing it, and am more than willing to continue if there's interest. Reviews always help!**

* * *

><p>The soft but insistent chime of his morning alarm pulled Shepard from sleep quickly, and it took only a moment for memories of the previous night to flood back.<p>

He was now lying on his side with his arm around her waist, and she was curled up in front of him, facing in the same direction. He felt her stir at the noise of the alarm just as it automatically deactivated itself.

She tensed for a moment - no doubt momentarily puzzled at where she was - and then she evidently remembered, as she made a contented sound and tightened her arm around his.

"Mmm," she said, stretching in an almost catlike way, which made Shepard grin.

He moved back slightly to allow her to turn around to face him, and she rolled onto her back, looking up at him.

"Good morning," she said, slightly shyly and with very wide eyes visible through her helmet's visor.

"'Morning," he replied with a smile, and she placed her hand on his cheek.

"Thank you for letting me stay," she said, and all at once she was somehow near tears.

"Thanks for staying," he said, placing a reassuring and possessive hand on her stomach.

_Keelah, thank you for it not being a dream_, she thought.

"So... what do we do now?" she asked, and he laughed.

"Now, unfortunately, we have to get up," he replied. "Breakfast, then I have a review meeting with Miranda, Garrus and Joker."

"I was thinking of coming too," she said, with a question in her voice.

"You'd be very welcome," he replied, yawning as he stretched. "Do you want to use the washroom first?"

"My kit is in my locker on deck 3," she said, "but I could meet you for breakfast in the mess area in a little while?"

"Sounds great," he smiled, taking her hand and placing a small kiss on it. They lay there for another minute before both regretfully getting up.

At the door, she hesitated and turned back to face him. She searched for the words to express the note of anxiety she was feeling, but he spoke first.

"No regrets, Tali," he said. "I'm very happy about this."

She sighed with relief, and stepped into his arms for one last brief hug, then she walked out into the corridor.

"See you soon, John," she said, with warmth evident in her voice.

He smiled at her and nodded, and she bounced on her toes before entering the elevator.

* * *

><p>Although the crewmembers she passed didn't know it, Tali was smiling the entire time as she walked along the corridor from crew quarters to the mess area.<p>

It had only been twenty minutes or so since she'd left Shepard's cabin, but already she was looking forward to seeing him again. She glanced around the tables but didn't see him, so he must still be on his way. She was so engrossed in looking around that she didn't notice that Garrus had approached her.

"'Morning, Tali," he said, and she spun around to face him.

"Good morning, Garrus!" she replied enthusiastically, causing the turian to gave the barest hint of a grin.

"Feeling better today, I see," he said, and she tilted her head to one side in acknowledgement.

"So, um, did you...?" he asked, lowering his voice so that no-one else could hear their conversation.

"We talked," she said brightly. "And you were right; I was jumping to conclusions."

"I knew it," Garrus replied. "That's great. I guess that's great. Isn't it?"

She laughed at his uncertainty.

"It's great," she confirmed, "and thank you again for talking some sense into me."

"No problem," he replied. "So... what did he say when... I mean, he'll have wondered why you were asking. I think he'd wonder about that."

She nodded coyly, which only caused a confused expression to appear on Garrus' face.

_Men are all the same_, she thought with a smile. _They always need to be told._

"Well," she began, "it turned out that we... were both in a similar position."

Garrus thought for a long moment, then a grin broke out on his face.

"Are you saying that he... that you two are...?" he asked, even more quietly than before but with a note of excitement in his voice.

She giggled and nodded enthusiastically.

"Well that's just fantastic," he said warmly, in his typically big-brotherly way. "My mandibles are sealed on the subject until you say otherwise, of course. But that's great. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you," she said, bouncing on her toes without being aware of it.

"So, breakfast?" Garrus asked, gesturing towards the kitchen area. "We dextros have to stick together."

She nodded as they began to walk over, adding "John will be joining us soon too."

"It's 'John' now, is it?" Garrus replied with a smirk, keeping his voice down, and she blushed.

Five minutes later, Shepard walked into the mess area and easily spotted Tali and Garrus sitting at one of the smaller tables. He smiled at both of them, and headed to the kitchen to get some breakfast, returning with a tray within a couple of minutes. He put down his tray and took the seat next to Tali.

"Good morning," he said, looking at Garrus, "how's things?"

"No complaints here, _John_," Garrus replied with the barest trace of a smirk. "Sleep well?"

Tali immediately clapped her hand over her visor, and Shepard had to use all his self-control to avoid laughing.

"I... know I can count on _your_ discretion at least, Garrus," Shepard replied, his voice clearly demonstrating his affection for his old friend, and the turian nodded.

"You can," Garrus said, lowering his voice once more, "and you can also count on a monumental ass-kicking if a certain little lady doesn't think you're the perfect gentleman."

Shepard did laugh this time, and nodded.

"Point taken," he said, and threw a quick wink towards Tali, who was peeking out from under her hand.

* * *

><p>Shepard, Garrus and Tali walked into the Briefing Room and found that Miranda and Joker were already there, in the middle of a spirited debate.<p>

"Can we at least disconnect her _in here_ while we're talking about her?" Joker said, pointing towards the ceiling.

"We are not disconnecting EDI, Mr. Moreau," Miranda replied, an edge of frustration in her voice. She folded her arms as if to say that the conversation was over.

"_I agree with Operative Lawson,"_ came EDI's disembodied voice from tiny speakers throughout the room, and Joker rolled his eyes.

"I see you two started without me," Shepard said, causing them both to turn abruptly towards him.

"Hey, Commander," Joker said, with his ever-present grin and a small wave. Though Shepard often pretended to be frustrated with the young man, he was actually very fond of him, and thoroughly respected his casual attitude towards his medical condition.

"Good morning, Commander," Miranda said with a small smile, unfolding her arms and tilting her head ever so slightly to one side.

He nodded to each of them, then glanced quickly towards Tali. She inclined her head just a fraction, but the message was clear: _See! I told you so!_

Shepard was sure that it was just possessiveness on Tali's part that made her see any significance to Miranda's mannerisms. If he was absolutely honest, like all men he enjoyed the idea of her being a little possessive, as long as it didn't go to extremes.

Shepard, Tali and Garrus took their places around the conference table, and the meeting began.

It only took around fifteen minutes to run through all of the necessary matters, and Shepard was glad to dismiss everyone to begin their duties for the day. He managed to give Tali a small wink without anyone noticing, and she bounced ever so slightly on her feet.

Shepard turned from the table to file out of the room with everyone else, but felt a hand on his arm. He glanced around to see Miranda at his side.

"Commander?" she said, once again with a smile on her face, "I was wondering if you'd have time later to discuss some new shield upgrade proposals I've been working on. Perhaps in my office?"

He was aware that Tali had stopped in the doorway and was watching him. He glanced down at his arm where Miranda's hand still rested.

She slowly withdrew it, and he could swear that he saw something suggestive in her eyes.

_I'll be damned_, he thought. _Tali was right_.

"I think I have some time before lunch," he said, carefully, and Miranda's smile widened. "If it's about the shields, I assume you'll want Tali to be present too."

Tali walked slowly back into the room, stopping at Shepard's side, enjoying the clearly disappointed look on the other woman's face.

"Um... of course, Commander," Miranda said, giving Tali a barely-concealed icy look.

In response, Tali put one hand on the conference table, only inches from Shepard's, and very deliberately put the other hand on her own hip.

Miranda followed the movement with her eyes, raising a single sculpted eyebrow; _challenge accepted_, it said. She looked Tali up and down for moment, then turned to leave.

"I'll see you later then, Commander," she said, once again with a bright smile for him, adding "Tali," as an afterthought without making eye contact with the younger woman as she left.

The door closed, leaving Shepard and Tali alone in the room. He gave an exaggerated glance up towards the roof, and she understood the message - _this room has surveillance devices_ - so she simply nodded and they walked out.

_That brazen bosh'tet_, Tali thought, furiously.

She had very nearly placed her hand on top of Shepard's, just to make her feelings completely clear, but it would have been the wrong decision. She hated the fact that Miranda flirted with him so openly. Her hands were clenching into fists and unclenching, again and again, and she walked along the corridor beside him towards the elevator.

Two crewmen passed by and Shepard nodded an acknowledgement, waiting until they were briefly out of the earshot of anyone else to lean slightly down towards her.

"I already made my choice, and it's you," he said quietly, slowing for a moment to reach for her hand and squeezing it before resuming his normal pace.


	8. Chapter 8

Shepard had been in the Tech Lab for more than an hour, being briefed by Mordin on his progress on everything from medi-gel potency to the Krogan genophage. An hour with Mordin was like three hours with anyone else, and Shepard had to shake his head to clear it as he walked out into the CIC.

_Can't fault his enthusiasm, though_, Shepard thought with a wry grin.

"You have new messages at your private terminal, Commander," said Kelly with her usual smile, and he nodded in acknowledgement.

_Wonder what we've got today_, he thought, logging into the terminal and accessing his unread messages list.

There were three messages: next month's catalogue from Saronis Applications (which he forwarded to Jacob then archived), a meeting cancellation from Miranda, and a personal message from Tali. He raised an eyebrow at the meeting cancellation, and opened it to read the attached remarks:

_Commander,_

_I hope you don't mind if we postpone the meeting I requested this morning. I'd like some more time to refine the proposal, and hope to discuss it later in the week._

_Regards,_

_Miranda Lawson_

_[copied to Tali'Zorah vas Normandy]_

Shepard shrugged, tapping a panel to acknowledge the message and accept the cancellation, knowing that both Miranda and Tali would automatically receive confirmation that he'd read it. He archived the message, and then after a quick glance around to ensure no-one was nearby, he opened Tali's note.

As he read the words, he could hear her delicate, accented voice in his mind.

_John,_

_I'm still getting used to calling you that. It's so nice to be able to._

_I'm sorry I got upset after the meeting. There's a human expression, "walking on air" - I think it means to be very happy. Do you know it? Well, I was walking on air this morning. I still am._

_When Miranda was... being Miranda with you, I just worried that she would try to take you away. I still worry about it. But I trust you completely; I want you to know that._

_I'm so happy that we feel the same way about each other. I've watched you for so long. I don't have a lot of experience in these matters, but I know that you will teach me, and that I want us to be together._

_There are differences between us, but all of the important things are the same. I mean our feelings! Now I am blushing. This is why it's sometimes easier for me to write._

_I didn't mean to write such a long message - I know you're very busy. I have to work during my lunch break, but if you're available then perhaps we could meet for dinner?_

_I hope your day is going well. I miss you. Sometimes I even miss you when you're here._

_Tali_

Shepard closed the message and smiled. It took every ounce of self-control he possessed to stop himself immediately going to her. He allowed himself a deep sigh.

Yeoman Kelly Chambers glanced up from her console, and saw Shepard staring into the holographic galaxy map without really seeing it, a gentle smile on his face. She had seen men with that expression before, and her mouth fell open slightly.

_Savior of the Citadel, the first human Spectre, and the man who's going to save the galaxy,_ she thought. _Whoever she is, Commander, I hope she knows how lucky she is._

Chambers smiled. She loved to see people who were happy; she'd always been like that. She'd also never known when to keep her mouth shut, as her mother had often told her.

"Everything alright, Commander?" she asked, causing Shepard to blink and then glance over at her.

"Hmm?" he replied. "Oh, yes, Kelly. Everything's just great."


	9. Chapter 9

Tali was thoroughly absorbed in monitoring a diagnostic of the Normandy's mass effect core when her omnitool emitted a crisp beep, indicating the arrival of a new message. She felt her heart momentarily speed up; she had wondered if Shepard would respond to the note she'd sent him earlier.

Glancing around to make sure she was alone, she raised her arm - automatically summoning the omnitool's holographic interface - and tapped two panels, opening the message.

_Tali,_

_Don't worry about this morning; I understand, and there's nothing to be concerned about. When the time is right, I'll tell Miranda about us, and I'm sure she'll respect that._

_I'm glad I finally told you how I feel, and I'm relieved that you feel the same way. I was actually nervous for a while there. I care about you a lot, and I hope you know it. I've been thinking about you all morning. We'll take this one step at a time, together. _

_I'll see you at dinner. I miss you too._

_John_

_P.S. That was the best night's sleep I've had in a long time._

Tali closed the message with a deep sigh, smiling behind her visor. She hadn't fully realized that she'd been nervously awaiting his reply, but now she felt reassured once again.

She longed to see him, but there was also something delicious about simply knowing he was elsewhere on the ship, thinking about her. She couldn't help but bounce on her toes.

Gabby had glanced across at Tali upon hearing her sigh, and now her curiosity was piqued. The usually reserved quarian was tapping away at her console as always, but...

_Is she... humming?_ Gabby thought, a small grin forming on her face.

The tune was unknown to her, but it certainly seemed to be a happy one, which fit with the younger woman's body language.

_I guess she got some good news_, Gabby thought, with a small shrug. _Either that, or she's in love._

* * *

><p>Kelly Chambers glanced towards the corridor leading to the Main Battery as she carried her lunch tray to a vacant place in the mess area. She hadn't had a chance to speak to Garrus since their brief encounter last night, and she planned to try again once she had eaten.<p>

_He's in there at all hours of the day_, she thought. _I know that he's one of Shepard's closest friends, but he's such a private man._

She sensed that there was another side to the turian, one that he allowed few to see. She had been intrigued by him ever since she'd heard him cracking jokes only hours after very serious surgery to repair the damage done to his face and neck on Omega.

She had heard bits and pieces about the tragic loss of his squad from other crewmembers on the Normandy, and she had noticed a certain sadness in his eyes at times. It was difficult to know what turians were thinking; they didn't show much emotion on their faces, but the signs were there if you knew where to look.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Gabby Daniels wandered past, no doubt on her way to get another take-out lunch for everyone in Engineering. The two women were close friends, and Gabby stopped to chat.

"Another working lunch?" Kelly asked with a smile, earning an answering nod.

"Afraid so," Gabby replied. "So as usual Ken sent me up for 'provisions'."

Both women smiled at the Scottish engineer's habitual over-dramatization.

"Doesn't Tali usually help you?" Kelly asked, glancing around as if to find the quarian. Gabby nodded once more.

"Yeah, but she's busy too," she replied, "not that I think she'd even noticed it's lunchtime. She's down there working away at breakneck speed, as usual, but today she's singing."

"_Singing?_" Kelly asked, with a small laugh.

"Well, more like humming to herself, I guess," Gabby replied. "I don't know what it's about. Seems like she's in a great mood. I think she got a message earlier, and ever since then she's been on cloud nine. She even laughed at one of Ken's jokes."

_She got a message, and now she's all smiles?_ thought Kelly. _Sounds familiar. I wonder..._

"What are you thinking?" Gabby asked, noticing that the other woman hadn't replied for several seconds.

Kelly stepped slightly closer, lowering her voice.

"Well, you didn't hear this from me," she began, seeing Gabby's eyes light up with interest, "but I was working up on the CIC when Shepard came out of the Tech Lab to check his messages this morning. He read one, then I heard him sigh, and when I looked up he had this goofy, happy, far-away look on his face."

Gabby clasped her hands together excitedly.

"You don't think...?" she said, "The Commander, and... Tali?"

"I don't know," Kelly said, grinning, "but they're old friends. And I've always thought she had a bit of a thing for him."

"That is _so_ adorable," Gabby said with a small clap of her hands. "Tali is such a sweet person. They both deserve to be happy."

Kelly nodded enthusiastically.

"But we don't know for sure," she said, "so let's keep it to ourselves for now."

Gabby tilted her head in agreement, miming zipping her lips closed.

"Well, I'd better get back down there," she sighed. "Let me know if you learn anything else!" She waved farewell, and headed for the kitchen.

* * *

><p>It had been around twenty minutes since Gabby left with a loaded tray when Shepard walked into the mess area. He glanced briefly around, seeing none of his squadmates or senior crewmembers; only the junior Cerberus crew were visible.<p>

He did see Kelly Chambers on her way towards the Main Battery, but she often made her rounds of the ship after lunch, so he proceeded towards the kitchen.

As he was about to reach it, the door to Miranda's office slid open, and she stepped out.

"Oh, hello Commander," she said, with a small smile.

"Miranda," he acknowledged. "Everything under control?"

"Absolutely," she replied. "Going for lunch?"

He nodded, involuntarily glancing over towards the busy dining tables in the middle of the large open area. Miranda's gaze followed his, and she instantly knew what he was thinking.

"I usually don't eat in the mess area," she said, and he looked back around at her. "I think it can make the junior crewmembers feel a little awkward to sit with command officers - particularly if they're not familiar to them."

Shepard frowned. On the first Normandy, he always made an effort to get to know everyone on board, and he believed that it was important to do so. But these were Cerberus personnel. Whilst they were very capable generally, and he'd come to trust several of them - like Jacob, Donnelly and Daniels, Chambers and yes, perhaps even Miranda - he had no idea if the general junior crew were similarly enlightened. He still wondered if they were xenophobic fanatics, and he'd always been taught Cerberus was.

"I know what you mean," Shepard replied.

"I did want to update you on the progress I've made on those shield upgrades, even though I'm not ready for a full meeting yet," Miranda said. "We could talk over lunch, and eat in my office, if you like?"

She knew that he would agree, even if he was uncomfortable with it. It was the lesser of two evils.

Shepard glanced once more up the corridor towards the Main Battery, but the door was closed. Even Chambers was no longer in sight, so she must be inside talking to Garrus. He sighed.

"Alright," he replied, "that sounds fine."

"Good," she replied, gesturing towards the kitchen. "Shall we?"

* * *

><p>Shepard and Miranda had chatted of inconsequential things during lunch, and she'd then spent ten minutes bringing him up to date on some shield energy-distribution improvements she'd been working on.<p>

"Seems like it'll be valuable; good work," he said. "I'll be interested to hear the full briefing later."

She nodded, again with a small smile, and Shepard glanced at the holographic clock nearby.

"I should be going," he said. "I need to check in with Garrus soon."

Before he could get up, she raised one hand slightly and spoke.

"Actually, there was one other thing, if you had a moment," she said, some color rising in her cheeks.

_I'll be damned,_ he thought. _First time for everything._

"Sure," he replied, "what is it?"

"I... wanted to apologize," she said, hesitantly, "for this morning in the meeting, I mean. I shouldn't have... well, when I requested a second meeting I shouldn't have been so... direct."

"How do you mean?" he said, keeping his face straight but genuinely curious as to what she'd say.

She glanced down at her own hands briefly before meeting his eyes again.

"Well, put simply, Commander, I think I was perhaps a little... forward," she said. "And I think I made you a little uncomfortable. I'm sorry about that."

He looked at her for a long moment before replying.

"I wasn't uncomfortable, but I appreciate the thought," he said, carefully. "Now what's going on, Miranda? Up til just now I thought you were genetically incapable of being hesitant."

She laughed at that, flushing again slightly, then shook her head.

"With most people, perhaps," she replied, then she looked at him carefully, tilting her head to one side. "Do I really have to spell it out?"

Shepard frowned, breaking eye contact to glance down at the surface of the coffee table between them. He cleared his throat and then met her gaze again.

"Miranda, I don't want there to be any misunderstanding between us, because you're my XO and I depend on you," he said.

"Of course," she said in a small voice, the trace of a smile vanishing from her lips as she clasped her hands on top of her thighs.

"Our relationship has improved immeasurably since Lazarus, and I think we work really well together," he continued. "I didn't trust you before, but I've come a long way towards it. You're certainly one of the most valuable members of this team, and we couldn't have gotten this far without you."

She gave a small sideways nod in acknowledgement. Shepard sighed.

"I value our working relationship, very much, and it's important to what we're doing here," he said. "It's important to the mission, to the crew, and to me. I mean that."

She gave him a small smile.

"And for all those reasons," he said, pausing for a moment to find the right words, "I think that above all we have to keep that going. To keep our relationship just as effective, and... professional as it is."

She nodded slowly, glancing down at her hands once more. She understood the message perfectly. It was several seconds before she spoke, without looking up.

"I understand, Commander," she said quietly, "and I... do appreciate your frankness."

Shepard sighed once more, this time inwardly. It was never a particularly enjoyable type of conversation, but it was necessary, for Miranda's sake as much as Tali's.

_I guess I misjudged you_, he thought. She finally looked back up at him, and smiled brightly, her shoulders once again square.

"Thanks for joining me for lunch, Commander," she said. "I enjoyed our talk."

He nodded, picking up the trays as he stood to leave.

"So did I, Miranda," he said, giving her a small smile in return. "I'll talk to you later."

He turned and walked out of the door, and just before it closed behind him he could hear her console springing back to life, as she resumed her work.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Just a brief chapter this time. I think that a Shepard and Garrus scene is long overdue.**

**I always get the impression that they each see the other guy as their best and most trusted friend in the galaxy, and that they'd each die for the other without any hesitation. Garrus is also a hell of a funny guy. Probably my favorite character (besides Tali, of course).**

**So what **_**did**_** Chambers want with Garrus last night and earlier today? I was eager to find out.**

* * *

><p>Shepard was still feeling somewhat awkward, and a little guilty, after his chat with Miranda as he approached the door to the Main Battery.<p>

_She took it pretty well, though_, he thought. _That makes things easier. I guess Tali will be pleased too._

The thought of her cheered him up considerably, and he strode into the Main Battery with a hint of a smile on his face.

"Shepard," said Garrus, turning from his console; "Need me for something?"

"Have you got time to talk?" Shepard asked, and Garrus nodded.

"I guess these calibrations can wait for a bit," he replied wryly.

Shepard sat down on a nearby crate, and Garrus folded his arms as he leaned back against the main console.

"So what's up?" the turian asked, and Shepard grinned at his friend.

"Just checking in," he replied. Garrus laughed.

"Don't give me that, Shepard," he said, "_you_ want to talk about a certain quarian. And I've been expecting you. You two seemed happy enough this morning. How's that all going?"

"It's great, Garrus," Shepard replied. "Honestly, it feels like it's been longer than just part of a day since she and I had The Talk."

Garrus nodded twice.

"I can understand that," he said. "Really easy to move fast while it's all still new and exciting."

Now it was Shepard's turn to laugh.

"Sounds like you've had a few big romances of your own," he said, and the turian shrugged with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh I could tell you some stories, John," Garrus replied. "Maybe next time we're drunk."

"It's a deal," Shepard replied. The two men were lost in their own thoughts for a few moments before Garrus spoke again.

"Well, I'm really happy for you two," he said. "Don't let this go to your damned head, but she's been crazy about you almost as long as I've known her. For reasons I will never be able to comprehend."

Shepard grinned at the jibe, but when he spoke his voice was more serious.

"I'm crazy about her too," he admitted. "She's one of the strongest, most compassionate women I've ever known, but she's also the sweetest. I've got it pretty bad."

Garrus smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Besides," said Shepard, "didn't I ever tell you that my favorite color is purple?"

The two men's laughter echoed thunderously through the whole length of the Battery for several long moments.

"Uh... there was one thing, just while you're here," Garrus said after a brief silence, scratching his mandible. "Your yeoman was down here a little while ago."

"Kelly?" Shepard replied, "What did she want?"

Garrus coughed, and shifted his weight to the other foot.

"Well, that's the thing," he began, searching for the correct words, "I'm... reasonably sure she sort of made a pass at me."

Shepard's eyebrows shot up, and he couldn't help but grin.

"Huh," he said. "Like what?"

Garrus glared at him for a moment, and then waved his hand as if to dismiss the question.

"You know the kind of thing," he said, folding his arms and glancing around the room. "Said that she'd really like to get to know me better, that we should have dinner together sometime, that she was 'intrigued' by me."

Shepard couldn't help but laugh, and after a moment Garrus joined in.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, John," he said, grinning despite his words, "I'm just hilarious over here."

Shepard waved his hands in apology, waiting until he'd stopped chuckling before responding.

"Intrigued," he repeated; "That's a new one. She has actually _met_ you before, right?"

"I ever tell you how good I am with a sniper rifle?" Garrus retorted, and both men laughed again.

"OK, OK," Shepard said, raising his hands in mock surrender, "so what did you say?"

Garrus tilted his head to one side and once again shifted his weight. He looked at his friend for several seconds before speaking.

"I said why the hell not," he replied, drawing another snort of laugher from Shepard as he stood up.

"Then good luck," Shepard said with another grin, "and let me know how it goes. But not in too much detail."

Garrus rolled his eyes, before seeming to have an idea occur to him.

"Hey, we could double date!" he said, with sarcasm evident in his voice. "It'd be perfect. We all even know each other already."

Shepard clapped his friend on the arm then stepped towards the door.

"I have to look at your face when we're _working_," he said, with a grin which the turian returned. "I'm not signing up for it in my free time too."


	11. Chapter 11

The door to Engineering slid open as Shepard approached it. It had been a long day, and it was now very early evening. He glanced to the right, seeing that Donnelly and Daniels were thoroughly engrossed in their usual good-natured bickering about something, and he stepped quietly up to where Tali stood tapping away at her console.

Still unnoticed, he took a moment to admire her. She had a very shapely figure, and the suit hid almost none of it. So much was familiar, but there were differences too: the structure of her lower legs, the three digits instead of five on each hand and foot.

He glanced up at the hood covering his envirosuit's helmet, and wondered again if she had hair. Not that it mattered, of course.

_I'd just really like to see her smile one day_, he thought.

He shifted his weight, causing his boot to creak very slightly against the deck plating, and she spun around.

"John?" she said, automatically keeping her voice low so that the other two engineers wouldn't hear. "You startled me. How long have you been there?"

"Only a minute or so," he said with an easy smile, taking another step towards her.

She tilted her head to one side, and he was suddenly absolutely certain that, if she had eyebrows, at least one was now raised coyly.

"And what have you been doing for that minute or so?" she asked, earning a trace of a grin from him.

"Looking at you," he said, just barely loud enough for her to hear, without breaking eye contact.

Tali flushed inside her helmet, feeling a warmth twist through her body. His voice had been almost neutral, but there was an additional message in his eyes.

_Keelah_, she thought, suddenly glad that she was leaning against the console. _I want that too, John._

"Is that... OK?" he asked, this time with a small smile to take some of the charge from the air.

She nodded, quickly checking that Donnelly and Daniels were still oblivious before closing the remaining distance between them.

"I like it when you look at me," she said, running a finger down his cheek for a moment. "And I want you to know... I've started doing some research. I don't want this to always be in the way." She gestured towards her helmet, and he nodded.

She glanced away briefly before meeting his eyes again.

"I've never shown my face to anyone," she said, "but I want to show you. I want us to be... together. I'll find a way."

He took her hand and squeezed it.

"I want that too," he replied quietly, "and I'll wait as long as it takes. Your safety comes first. I'm not going anywhere."

She smiled inside her helmet, and nodded gratefully.

"Thank you," she whispered, and he smiled, taking a step back.

"So," Shepard said, "what time will you be free to have some dinner?"

She glanced briefly back at her console before replying.

"This energy profile is set to run automatically," she said. "I can check the results in the morning. I'm ready whenever you are."

"Great," he replied, "I thought we'd eat in the mess area, then we can go... somewhere quieter to talk."

"I'd like that," Tali replied, and they both walked out of Engineering side by side.

As the door slid closed behind them, they could still hear Donnelly and Daniels' argument continuing unabated.

* * *

><p>The mess area had still been fairly quiet - the main dinner crowd wouldn't arrive for another half hour or so - and Shepard and Tali had been able to eat in relative privacy, talking of inconsequential things and the various duties each had performed during the day.<p>

They were now headed back towards the elevator, and Tali tensed up slightly when she saw Miranda walking along the corridor in the opposite direction, coming towards them.

"Hello, Commander; Tali," she said, with a nod and a polite smile.

Shepard returned the nod, as all three of them came to a stop as they met.

"Hello Miranda," Tali replied, keeping her voice neutral and resisting the temptation to take Shepard's arm.

"How's everything going?" Shepard asked.

"Very well, actually," Miranda replied. "I should be ready to give a full briefing in a couple of days. It was helpful to be able to go over the idea with you at lunch today."

Shepard groaned inwardly. He'd been planning to tell Tali about his conversation with Miranda, but he'd wanted to wait until they were alone to do so. He knew that Tali was jealous of his XO, and could imagine what her reaction would be to the discovery that they'd had lunch together today.

He simply nodded, with a small smile.

"Well, I won't keep you from dinner," he said, "I'll check in tomorrow morning. Enjoy your evening."

Miranda gave him a warm smile. "Thank you; same to both of you," she said, before continuing along the corridor and out of sight.

He glanced at Tali, but she looked away and after a moment they resumed their course towards the elevator. They reached it and stepped inside, and Shepard pressed the panel for deck 1 with a sigh.

"I was waiting til we were alone to tell you that I bumped into Miranda at lunch," he said, facing her. She looked at him carefully, not saying anything.

"We ate in her office because she wanted to discuss her project," he continued. "And we talked about... something else, too."

Tali felt an icy sensation in her stomach. The elevator reached its destination and the door opened, and they both walked along the short catwalk and into his cabin.

He gestured towards the couch and they both sat down. Tali clasped her hands in her lap.

"Miranda... she sort of... apologised for this morning, in the briefing room," he said, and Tali made a small noise of indignation.

"She said that she'd been... um... a little _forward_," he said, hesitantly, and he knew that she was instantly furious.

Tali stood up abruptly, shook her head, and took a step towards the short set of stairs leading to the exit.

"Wait, wait," Shepard said, leaping up from the couch and closing the distance between them in one smooth motion, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. He could feel that she was shaking, but he was unsure whether it was from sadness or anger.

"I will not let her do this, John!" she said, with equal parts anguish and fury in her voice. "We've only just found each other, and now she wants to steal you away from me."

"Tali, I told her that I wanted to keep our relationship professional," he said, keeping his voice soft to try to soothe her.

Her head snapped up and her eyes searched his face.

"You said that?" she asked, and he nodded, with a gentle smile, allowing his hands to move down her arms until he clasped both of her hands in his.

"Of course I did," he replied.

"What did she say?" she asked, her voice now clearly more hopeful.

"Well," he said, clearly slightly uncomfortable with the topic, "she said she appreciated my honesty. She seemed OK."

Tali lowered her eyes to look at their hands intertwined, lost in her own thoughts for several moments. At last, she looked up.

"I never wanted her to be hurt. Thank you, John," she said, her voice catching slightly. "Thank you for... choosing me."

He realized that she was crying, and he pulled her into his arms, rocking her very slightly from side to side.

"I chose you a long time ago, Tali," he said, feeling her arms snake around his waist.

She clung to him and allowed the pent-up storm of emotions of the previous twenty-four hours to flow from her. She felt the warm tears rolling down her face, but she was smiling.

She didn't trust herself to say anything, but her thoughts were drawn to the bonding ceremony of her people. The words were familiar to every quarian, but for the first time their meaning was clear to her.

She felt his reassuring heartbeat echo against her chest as she recited the simple vow in her mind.

_~ I will be yours always, John'Shepard vas Normandy. I will try every day to deserve you. ~_

_~ Whatever may come, wherever you may go, my home will be by your side. ~_

_~ This is my promise, because I love you. ~_


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Yep, I know: awww.**

**It's not me - it's Tali's fault. She is just _that_ cute. I try to tone down the cuteness, but that's just exactly how she actually is.**

**Tali, don't ever change.**

* * *

><p>Shepard had poured them both a drink a little while ago - he'd obtained a bottle of dextro-suitable alcohol from Gardener that afternoon, on the pretence of it being for when Garrus dropped by - and they were both sitting side by side on his couch, enjoying a comfortable lull in the conversation.<p>

Tali reached for her glass and took a sip via a straw-like attachment she kept in one of the many small pockets in her suit. It sat in the glass, and automatically paired with a port on the mouthpiece of her helmet when it was brought close enough, releasing itself when it detected a drop in suction. To a casual observer, it was just like she had a flexible straw in her drink.

Their free hands were linked and rested on her thigh, and soft music was playing in the cabin.

"So," she said innocently, bringing him out of his reverie to glance at her, "do you know when you want to... tell people?"

He grinned. _One drink, and already you're getting bold_, he thought. He didn't mind the question at all, and indeed he knew they'd have to talk about it at some point; he was just all too aware of how reticent she usually was about things.

He could hear from her voice that she'd relaxed quite a bit, and that the drama of earlier had receded. He could also hear the hint of a grin, and he knew that she was fully aware that she was being somewhat presumptuous and daring. He loved that he could sense those things now, and he suddenly understood how quarian society could still function despite not being able to see facial expressions.

"Well," he said, in a mock serious tone, "I was thinking of sending round a memo saying that you'd be working in the captain's cabin from now on."

A fit of giggles overtook her, and she had to put her glass down for a moment. Eventually, she regained enough control to speak.

"As much as I'm sure you'd enjoy that, it might not be the best way to handle the situation," she said, with a grin in her voice.

He nodded, conceding the point.

"Got any ideas yourself?" he asked, squeezing her hand.

"I'm not sure," she said. "I... do want people to know, but... it's also really no-one's business but ours."

"So you want them to find out, rather than to be told," he said, nodding in agreement. "That's probably easier. But let's give it... I don't know. A day or two? A little while, anyway. I don't want to rub it in Miranda's face."

He glanced at her, wanting to make sure that she understood, and she nodded, taking another sip of her drink.

"I know," she replied. "I feel a little bad about that too. I feel like I want to apologize to her for how I've been thinking of her, but I can't do that unless she knows why."

He squeezed her hand again, unsure of what to say, then drained his glass in a single gulp.

"Top up?" he asked, releasing her hand and standing up, drawing a puzzled glance from her. "I mean, can I refill your glass?"

"Oh," she replied, "sure, thank you, John."

He smiled as he walked over to the makeshift drinks cabinet on a shelf near the bed.

"I like when you call me that," he said.

"I like it too," she replied. "It suits you. It's a strong name. And I like that only I get to use it."

He brought the two glasses, now full, back over to the couch and sat down. Tali thought for a moment before continuing.

"I don't have any other names left for just you to use, though," she said, contemplatively. "You've always called me Tali."

"Quarians don't have pet names?" Shepard asked, surprised.

"Pet names?" she replied, utterly confused. "We... don't keep animals on the flotilla, John; there's not enough room, and the hygiene-"

He laughed, shaking his head. "No, not that kind of pet; I mean nicknames that people give each other when they care about someone. Cute names? Humans call those 'pet' names too."

She looked at him for a moment, clearly nonplussed on several counts. "Well... not really. We... use our names. Nicknames like what?" she asked.

"Hmm," he replied, considering the question. "It depends on the people involved, and the type of relationship, and... I don't know. It's an individual thing. People just... come up with pet names, somehow."

She turned towards him, now clearly fascinated. "But like _what_?" she asked.

He scratched his head. "Uh... well, I mean... some people would say... I guess there are lots of common ones. Like, for example, you might call somebody... uh... pumpkin?"

He received a blank stare in response.

"... it's... actually, it's a... vegetable," he finished, lamely.

There was a moment of silence before they both burst out laughing.

"Humans name their dear ones after _vegetables_?" She shook with laughter, and it wasn't long before tears were rolling down Shepard's face too.

_I guess it _is_ pretty ludicrous, when you think about it_, he realized.

For more than a full minute, they were both powerless to do anything but shake with laughter. He would think he was getting himself under control, then he'd hear an adorable little snort of laughter from her, and he'd be set off again. They had both put their drinks down, or else the couch would be covered in a mixture of levo and dextro-suitable alcohol.

"OK, no, it's not really like _that_," he said with great difficulty through a wide grin; "it's just about it sounding cute. I think that's what it's about. Anyway, you just know which name is right for someone. I don't know what the rules are, but it works."

She finished laughing and then looked at him. When she spoke, her voice had a by-now-familiar mock innocence. "So that must mean you know what name is right for me."

He nodded confidently. "Absolutely," he said.

She waited for a moment before poking him in the ribs. "Well what _is_ it?" she demanded, playfully but with an unmistakeable note of anticipation.

"Well," he said, pausing dramatically, "you, Tali, are most _definitely_ a... sweetheart."

She clasped her hands together in undisguised glee, feeling her heart thump in her chest, drawing a huge grin from him.

_Sweetheart_, she thought. It was a word she'd never heard before, so very human and so clearly _affectionate_. Even the tone of his voice changed when he said it; it made his voice smile, and he clearly identified her with it completely. A bizarre custom, but a truly wonderful one.

"I am... a sweetheart?" she asked, and yet again he felt the hammerblow of that unnamed, devastatingly powerful emotion hitting his chest.

"You're _my_ sweetheart," he gently corrected with a smile, and she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely.

"I love being your sweetheart," she said.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Sorry about the very short chapter; it's been a busy couple of days. I wrote this pretty late at night while having a few drinks. I plan to continue the story for a bit longer, because I'm having a lot of fun with it.**

**I'm looking forward to having others find out about Shepard and Tali, and seeing the responses of Joker and Jack particularly. ****I'll also be interested to hear what Mordin has to say. ****But that's for another day - right now, our favorite couple are still just relaxing in the captain's cabin (again).**

**Thanks for the encouraging reviews; they keep me writing.**

**I should go.**

* * *

><p>Shepard was roused from his reverie by the muted beep of the comm system, followed by the disembodied voice of EDI.<p>

_"Commander, you have received a priority message from Councillor Anderson."_

"Thanks, EDI," he replied. Tali lifted her head from his chest and glanced up at him.

"_You are welcome, Commander,"_ EDI replied, and the comm channel closed with another beep.

"I should probably check that," Shepard said, and Tali nodded, reluctantly untangling herself to allow him to get up. He walked up the short set of steps to his office and accessed his private terminal.

She took another sip of her drink in silence, allowing him some time and privacy to read the message. After a couple of minutes, he sighed and came back down the stairs.

"Bad news?" she asked, setting her drink down once more.

He shrugged. "Not really. Anderson says the council wants to meet with me again, about 'my version of events' at the Collector base."

"Bosh'tets," she said, angrily. "You'd think they'd give you the benefit of the doubt after all you've done."

Shepard frowned, looking at nothing in particular. He'd spent a long time being angry at the council's continued dismissal of his warnings of the danger the galaxy was facing, but he was tired of fighting a battle on two fronts.

_I'll save the galaxy with or without their help_, he thought, not for the first time.

"Don't let it bother you, sweetheart," he said, knowing that the endearment would help dissipate her anger. He crossed to the couch and sat down beside her, taking her hand.

"I'll meet with the council, then we can blow off some steam in a bar I know on the Citadel," he said, with a smile. "We'll get the whole team together, or at least everyone who wants to go."

Tali looked down at their intertwined hands, feeling her anger at the council be subsumed by the feeling of being near him. She had also felt a burst of warmth in her chest again at his use of the pet name he had chosen for her.

"That sounds nice," she said. "It'll be good to get off the ship for a little while."

He nodded in agreement.

"EDI," he said, seeing the blue holographic interface spring to life nearby.

"_Yes, Commander?_"

"Tell Joker to plot a jump to the Citadel when he's ready," Shepard said. "I want to be there for a meeting at 14:00 Citadel time tomorrow."

"_Of course, Commander,_" the AI replied; "_Will there be anything else?_"

"Please tell the specialists that we're heading for the Citadel tomorrow, and that I'll be having a few drinks at the Dark Star Lounge in Zakera Ward from 17:00 local. Anyone who wants to come along is welcome."

"_Understood, Commander,_" EDI replied, and the hologram disappeared.

They sat in silence for a few moments, still holding hands. At last Tali spoke.

"Do you want me to go and let you prepare for your meeting?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Nothing to prepare for," he replied, "and even if there was, I'd want you to stay."

She smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Besides," he said, with a smirk, "I finally managed to grab something from the extranet. I thought we might watch it together."

He reached for a small console set into the edge of the coffee table, and tapped a few panels. A large holographic display materialized several meters from the couch, over the bed, and the cabin lighting dimmed by several levels.

Shepard released her hand and instead put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. Tali willingly snuggled into his chest, laying an arm loosely around his waist as she watched a star field appear on the large screen.

There was a flare of dramatic music over the backdrop of stars, and bold, shimmering blue letters snapped suddenly into view as if they'd just exited a mass effect jump.

_**BLASTO THE JELLYFISH**_

_**STINGS**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: This story is now rated M. I repeat: this is now rated M, for 'mature' (or at least 16-year-old) readers. If you're not OK with that, please run away now.**

**The reason for this is mostly because Jack soon enters the story, and she usually can't utter a single sentence without using the f-word. So, consider yourself warned.**

* * *

><p>Shepard rubbed his temples as he walked down the steps after his meeting with the council. He'd been there for almost three and a half hours, and he was feeling the usual after-effects of such a meeting: a headache, intense frustration, and a desire to punch someone.<p>

He stopped at the foot of the steps, ignoring a glance from a passing turian C-Sec officer, his mind momentarily too fatigued to remember where he was supposed to be going. After a moment, it came to him.

_Dark Star. Tali._

A weary smile crept onto his face, and he felt the tension drain away.

They had watched _Blasto_ without a single break the previous evening, and had often been incapacitated with laughter. Not always at points that were intended to be humorous, admittedly, but it had been an entertaining experience.

_Enkindle this_, he thought, and his grin grew wider.

They had once again slept together in his bed, and this time she'd brought her wash kit with her, so she didn't have to leave immediately in the morning. They'd even left his cabin together, after discreetly ensuring via EDI that there was no-one else in the elevator to notice them both arriving from deck 1.

Garrus had given them a knowing look and the turian version of a smirk when they got to the mess area, but no-one else had even noticed. With the shift system employed on the ship, the dedicated sleeping pods for those specialists who didn't have a cot near their preferred work area, and Tali's quarian body-clock, she hadn't even had any questions about her whereabouts in the evening.

_It won't be long til someone realizes, though_, he thought, rubbing the back of his neck to work the tension out of it. _I don't even mind._

He really needed to see her, and he sure as hell needed a drink. To the surprise of the C-Sec officer who was still nearby, he broke into a jog towards the rapid transit system terminal.

* * *

><p>Tali fidgeted with her glass, swirling the vivid green liquid within and then glanced over towards the entrance of the bar.<p>

"Will you quit that?" Garrus said, his tone gentle despite the words.

Chambers, who was sitting between him and Tali, gave him a pointed look, and he shrugged.

"He'll be here soon," Chambers said to Tali, in a kind voice, and Tali nodded in response. She had no idea whether Garrus had told Chambers about her and Shepard, but she didn't want to say anything to confirm it anyway.

_What are they saying to you, John?_ she wondered. _Those bosh'tets always make him so frustrated_.

She sighed, and glanced around the two large tables that were occupied by crewmembers of the _Normandy_. She sat with Kelly Chambers and Garrus, Mordin, Miranda and Jacob. She also kept a vacant seat for Shepard, which thankfully had been requested by Chambers. At the adjacent table were Grunt, Jack, Samara, Thane, Kasumi and Zaeed.

They had been there for more than half an hour, and whilst Tali was just just starting on her second drink, some of them were already working on their third.

Tali glanced around the bar, noticing a few disapproving glares directed towards her. It was nothing new; people had preconceptions and prejudices about quarians. She looked back down at her drink, and hoped that Shepard would arrive soon.

And then she heard it, even over the music. A sudden lull in conversations, over towards the door. She smiled even before she looked around, and sure enough, through a gap in the crowd, there he was.

Shepard's eyes scanned the bar, easily spotting her distinctive purple visor at a table towards the back. He smiled, and headed in that direction.

He made it almost three quarters of the way there before a young asari (she was certainly not a day over two hundred and fifty) stepped towards him.

"Commander Shepard?" she said, smiling brightly and tilting her head to one side.

Shepard came to a stop, and shot a reassuring smile at Tali before replying to the young woman.

"Yes?" he said.

"I couldn't believe it, but I thought it was you," she exclaimed, brushing a hand across his forearm. "The hero of the citadel! It's wonderful to meet you."

She held out her hand, and he glanced bemusedly at it for a moment before tentatively shaking it. "Pleased to meet you," he said, uncomfortably and with another quick glance towards Tali. The asari was effusive, and he was certain that their conversation was readily audible from Tali's table.

"I can't tell you how grateful we all are to you," the asari said, once again touching his arm. "What you did was just... incredible."

Tali's eyes narrowed, and she let go of her glass to avoid possibly breaking it. The asari was flirting mercilessly, and it was all she could do to stop herself walking over there. She briefly glanced around the table, seeing that almost everyone was watching the scene just as she was. Miranda wore a look of particular distaste. Tali frowned, once again focusing on the asari.

"Could I buy you a drink, Commander?" she said, fluttering her eyelashes - _Or what passes for them, Tali thought cattily - _and nodding towards the bar. "I have a table. I'd love to get to know you a little better..."

Shepard gave a small, bashful smile, and scratched his chin. "That's a very kind offer, miss, but I'm actually here to unwind a little with my crew." He pointed towards the table, and to his astonishment, Tali actually waved at him.

"Have a good evening," he finished, and continued walking without waiting for the woman to respond.

Upon reaching the table, he saw the barest sideways movement of Tali's helmet, and he knew that she was raising an eyebrow. "Hi," he said, making no effort to hide that he was talking directly to her.

"The hero of the citadel, talking to me?" she said, playfully, and he grinned in embarrassment. Garrus gave a throaty laugh, and even Jacob chuckled before catching himself and sitting up straighter.

Shepard glanced around the table, nodding in general greeting, and saw that Miranda was looking at Tali with a slightly suspicious expression on her face. He cleared his throat.

"Well, I need a drink," he said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the bar. "Anyone else?"

A few of the specialists gave their orders, and Tali stood up.

"I'll help you carry," she said, and he nodded, turning towards the bar.

As they walked away, Miranda watched carefully. Tali was different somehow. Was she... swaying her hips ever so slightly more than usual?

_Interesting_, she thought, taking another sip of her drink.

Shepard and Tali reached the bar, and he quickly placed his order.

"How bad was it?" she asked, gently, looking up at him.

"Ugh," he replied, but his face bore the barest hint of a smile.

She nodded sympathetically, briefly reaching out to touch his arm.

"To be honest, I spent the last hour or so mostly just thinking about you," he said, and she blushed. "I'm still amazed I managed to get through it without calling Councillor Valern 'sweetheart'."

She laughed out loud, a beautiful sound that rung out like a silver bell even over the bar's bass-heavy music.

"As if they didn't already question your motives," she joked, and he laughed.

Miranda watched them silently. She saw the touch of his arm, their shared laughter, and particularly the smile he gave her. She'd never seen that smile before.

_I had no idea_, she thought. _I guess that explains his reaction the other day._

She felt a stab of jealousy, but dismissed it. In a bizarre way, she actually felt a little better. Shepard and Tali had known each other for a long time, and if there had been feelings there already then it was understandable that he'd not thought of Miranda herself as anything other than a colleague.

Shepard and Tali returned to the table, handing out drinks appropriately, and sat down. Shepard took a long pull from his glass of something very similar to beer, nodding an acknowledgement to Garrus, who raised his glass in turn.

* * *

><p>Tali wasn't sure whether she was on her fourth or fifth drink, but it didn't seem to matter. Shepard had more than caught up with her, and the rest of the table (and the next) was looking decidedly relaxed too.<p>

He was recounting a fairly embellished and exaggerated version of his meeting with the council, which (in her entirely unbiased opinion) was hilarious. Garrus had slapped the table several times as he laughed, and even Mordin was chuckling in his odd, rapid-fire way - which tended to set the rest of the team off even more.

Shepard finished his story, grinning, and reached for his drink which was less than an inch from where Tali's hand rested on the table. He glanced at her, offering a shameless smile, and she returned the smile, knowing that he was aware of it even if he couldn't see it. When he returned the glass to the table, she allowed her third finger to very deliberately brush across his hand.

He turned to her and was about to speak when he felt a touch on his shoulder.

"Commander Shepard?"

He looked around to see a blonde human woman, provocatively dressed, standing behind him with her hand on his shoulder.

"Yes?" he replied, tensing up slightly, and the woman blushed slightly as she smiled at him.

"I was wondering... if you'd like to dance?" she said, nodding in the direction of the nearby dancefloor.

He opened his mouth to reply, still wondering how he could politely say no, when Tali suddenly stood up beside him, taking his hand.

"Actually," Tali said pointedly to the blonde woman, "he had just asked _me_ to dance. Isn't that right, Commander?"

Shepard looked at her, then down at her hand holding his, then at the blonde woman, his mouth still hanging open. He then nodded, quickly.

"Uh, yes," he said, offering an apologetic smile, "that's... right. We were just about to... dance. I'm sorry, miss."

The blonde shot an icy look at Tali, but quickly recovered her composure. "Oh. I see. Well, maybe later, then," she said, giving Shepard a small smile before turning and walking away.

"Aw," said Garrus, somewhat drunkenly, "and I was hoping for a fight." Chambers immediately poked him in the ribs, having clearly forgotten that turians have rigid plating protecting them from that very thing.

Shepard shot him an amused if pained glance, and then noted that Miranda had raised an eyebrow at the fact that Tali still held his hand tightly.

"So how about that dance," he said, clearing his throat again as he stood up, and Tali finally released his hand. They set off towards the dancefloor, feeling the eyes of most of their crewmates on them, and without even thinking about it he placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked.

"Well fuck me," said Jack from over Mordin's shoulder, startling him. "I think our bad-ass Commander is sweet on Princess Bucket-Head."

"Signs positive. Body language, tentative, familiar. Speech, hesitant," Mordin replied in his usual staccato delivery. "And reciprocated by Tali'Zorah. Behavior, jealous, territorial. Interest mutual."

Jack looked at the Salarian with a combination of amusement and contempt.

"You need to cut back on the fucking caffeine, doc," she said.

Mordin blinked twice, and reached for his drink.

Shepard led Tali to an area of the dancefloor which was mostly out of sight of their crewmates, and sighed. "That was a close one; thanks," he said.

"No problem," she replied. "I thought this would be easier than me having to get my shotgun."

He laughed, and stepped slightly closer to her as they began to dance.

* * *

><p>More than ten minutes had passed when Shepard leaned down and said "Maybe we should put in another appearance at the table."<p>

Tali nodded, reluctantly. They'd all probably be suspicious enough already. "Let's go," she said, and he once again put his hand on her lower back as they walked.

Several sets of eyes caught sight of them as they returned, but Shepard didn't remove his hand. He was pleasantly drunk, he'd had a hard day, and he was feeling defiant.

Tali saw the others looking at them, and wondered if he would withdraw his hand, but the comforting pressure and warmth at the back of her waist didn't waver. She smiled, already feeling bolder.

"Time for another drink, Shepard?" asked Garrus, getting up from his chair ever so slightly unsteadily, and Shepard nodded before glancing at Tali. She gave a small nod too, indicating she'd also like another, and the two men wandered off to the bar.

Tali sat down, noting that Jack and Mordin had swapped places, so there were now three other women at the table. All of them were looking at her; Kelly with a friendly smile, Jack with a smirk, and Miranda with a carefully neutral expression.

"So, bucket-head," began Jack, her voice reasonably friendly despite her habitual insult, "what's going on with you and Shepard?"

Tali carefully folded her hands together on the table. "What do you mean?" she said, innocently, and Jack snorted.

"Well I'm pretty sure he had his hand on you all the way from here to the dancefloor and all the way back," Jack replied. "And who knows _where_ his hands were while you two were over there."

Miranda and Kelly both shot Jack a distasteful look, but didn't comment. Tali blushed inside her helmet, but the feeling of boldness hadn't gone away.

"You would have to ask him about that," she said simply, and Jack grinned.

"Oh I fucking plan to," the biotic replied.

At the bar, Shepard and Garrus were waiting for their drinks order to be prepared.

"So, you and Kelly," Shepard said, and Garrus nodded at him, somewhat bleary-eyed.

"Yeah," the turian replied. "Any objections?"

"Of course not," Shepard replied, "I'm glad it's going well. Though she must be blind."

Garrus smirked at the familiar jibe, nodding in agreement as he rocked on his feet slightly. His eyes cleared momentarily, as he experienced a flash of drunken clarity.

"I think the others are suspicious about you and Tali, you know," he said, and Shepard shrugged.

"Let them think what they like," he replied.

Garrus pointed at him as if to say _Damn right_, then picked up two of the glasses which had just arrived. Shepard carefully gathered the rest, and they returned to the table.

As soon as Shepard sat down, Jack got up and walked around behind his chair, putting her hands on his shoulders and leaning down so her head was between his and Tali's.

"So Commander, sir," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Me and the girls here have been wondering if _all_ the ladies on the Normandy are on your dance card, or are you just hot for quarians?"

Tali squirmed beside him, clearly both embarrassed and slightly jealous that Jack's hands were on him, but Shepard just laughed.

"I wouldn't dare dance with you, Jack," he replied. "As a rule I try to avoid situations where stepping on someone's foot could be lethal."

Jack grinned, slapping him lightly on the back of the head. She looked at Tali for a moment then tapped the young woman's visor. "Remember to practise safe sex," she said, then strode off towards the dancefloor by herself.

Tali was mortified, looking down at her hands clasped in her lap, and Shepard could feel waves of embarrassment radiating from her. He looked up and saw that all eyes at the table were on him, and decided to defuse the situation.

Her jerked his thumb in the direction Jack had gone, and said "I pity the guy who tries to cop a feel."

The tension was broken, and everyone at the table laughed loudly. When their various conversations resumed, he leaned slightly towards Tali and spoke in a quiet voice.

"You alright?" he asked, and she looked up at him and nodded slowly.

"Yes," she said, "I just wish she wouldn't be so... direct all the time."

He smiled. "I know what you mean. But she was actually looking out for you, you know. Warning me to behave myself."

Tali was taken-aback. "She... she was?"

Shepard nodded. "In her own way, yeah."

Tali tilted her head to one side, considering it. "Then... she was being... nice?"

Shepard shrugged. "If you could ever call Jack's actions nice, yes."

Tali smiled at that, and he sensed it. Below the table, he reached for her hand and gave it a brief squeeze before picking up his drink.

* * *

><p>Shepard was unsure what time it was, but he didn't really care. He was too amused at the scene which surrounded him.<p>

Grunt and Zaeed had long since wandered off, and Samara and Thane had left to return to the Normandy about an hour earlier. Jacob and Kasumi seemed to be getting very friendly at the next table, and the thief's face bore a seemingly permanent blush. Three seats away from them, Mordin sat with his eyes closed, singing to himself and waving one finger in the air.

Garrus was looking earnestly into Chambers' eyes as she recounted a story she obviously found very poignant, and most incredible of all, Jack and Miranda sat nearby, seemingly engaged in a conversation (about biotics, in this case) that wasn't an argument.

Tali sat contentedly, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and the buzz of the alcohol. She was unaware that Shepard was even looking at her until she felt his arm settle across her shoulders.

She looked around at him immediately, tensing slightly.

"_John,_" she whispered, "everyone can see us!"

"Nobody's looking right now," he said. "But if you'd rather I didn't..."

"No, it's not that," she said, quickly glancing around the table to ensure everyone was still oblivious, "You know it's not that. I just... I didn't know when you wanted..."

He turned towards her, keeping his arm around her shoulders. "It's not just about me," he said, looking at her earnestly. "There are two people in this relationship. What do _you_ want, Tali?"

Her eyes searched his face, and she saw the truth of what he was saying. It wasn't just the lateness of the hour, or the drinks, or the difficulty of his day. Those things were catalysts, yes, but not the reason.

"I... want everyone to know that I am yours, of course," she said, in a small voice. "But only if you want that too."

He smiled at her. "What I want is to be able to put my arm around my girlfriend when I'm out in public."

_Girlfriend_, she thought, feeling a warm glow fill her chest. It sounded wonderful. It sounded so... what was the correct word? _Official_, she thought, with a jolt of happy excitement.

"And how could I deny my boyfriend such a simple thing?" she replied, seeing a wide smile spring onto his face.

She leaned in towards him and rested her head on his shoulder.


End file.
